November 2000 -Vol. VIII, No.4 MAGAZINE COMMITTEE OFFICER IN CHARGE CONTENTS Lucky Long CHAIRMAN Bill Bludworth VICE CHAIRMEN A Message From the President 1 Larry Levy Todd Zucker Features EDITORIAL BOARD Bill Booher The Progress Continues... .................................... 2 Freeman Gregory J. Grover Kelley The Cowboy’s Cowboy .......................................... 4 Kenneth C. Moursund Jr. Tracy Ruffeno Survival of the Fitters ............................................ 6 Marshall R. Smith III What’s in Store? ....................................................... 8 Constance White PHOTO EDITOR Great Asspirations! ................................................ 10 Debbie Porter page 4 Wish Upon a Steer................................................... 12 REPORTERS Sonya Aston Committee Spotlights Nancy Burch Gina Covell Corral Club ................................................................ 14 John Crapitto Stephanie Earthman Breeding Poultry....................................................... 16 Teresa Ehrman Susan Emfinger Grand Entry................................................................ 17 Whitney Horton Cheryl D. Kennedy Show News and Updates Wendy Lester-Kyle Melissa Manning Moving and Shaking .............................................. page 10 Nan McCreary 18 Judy Johnston Merrell Third-Year Committee Chairmen Profiles ... 20 Gordon Richardson II Beverly Rosenbaum Rodeo Round-Up ..................................................... 21 Rhonda Rubin Ken Scott Calendar of Events .................................. BackCover Gina Steere Susan Williams Tara Telage Wilson Leslie Worsham November 2000 -Vol. VIII, No.4 PHOTOGRAPHER Sam Pierson The Cover The action continues after the buzzer as DESIGN/LAYOUT pickup men help bring a graceful, Clarke & McClure painless finish to a successful ride. page 12 HLSR STAFF MAGAZINE MANAGEMENT COORDINATORS Leroy Shafer Suzy Brown PRODUCTION EDITOR Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Johnnie Westerhaus STAFF COORDINATOR/EDITOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: LIFETIME MEMBERS - OFFICERS: Doyce Elliott Joseph T. Ainsworth M.D. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Richard Buddeke Jim Bloodworth Douglas B. Marshall Brady F. Carruth MAGAZINE Don A. Buckalew John O. Smith Douglas L. Doyle John H. Causey Clayton Underwood Jerry H. Hickman Volume VIII, No. 4, is published by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. J.M. Clepper G.R.“Ray” Hinsley III Copyright 2000 HAIRMAN OF THE OARD Dick Graves C B : John A. Hutchison III Letters and comments should be sent to: Hal Hillman Jim Bloodworth Robert C. “Bob” Hux Marketing Department, Houston Livestock Don D. Jordan Lucky Long Show and Rodeo, P. O. Box 20070, Houston, Texas 77225-0070 PRESIDENT: H. Stuart Lang Jr. Charles R. “Butch” Robinson www.rodeohouston.com Louis M. Pearce Jr. P. Michael Wells Gregory A. Schroder Paul Somerville Edward B. Schulz Tommie Vaughn GENERAL MANAGER: Keith A. Steffek P. Michael Wells Dan A. Gattis R.H. “Steve” Stevens James M. Windham Jr. A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Committee meetings are in full swing, and the Show article on page 3. offices are buzzing with preparations for the 2001 event. I If you’ve driven by the Astrodome lately, it is easy to see have attended many of the committee meetings, and I that our two major construction projects are well under- continue to be amazed at the enthusiasm and effort of our way. To the west, the football/rodeo stadium is taking shape nearly 13,000 volunteers. as a wall of concrete and steel rises from where our carnival The many changes and sacri- once stood. To the northeast, the fices that all of us as volunteers will steel columns for the exposition have to make in order for the 2001 center are sprouting from the park- Show to be a success are being ing lot. By the time you read this, anticipated and discussed as merely the entire first floor, more than bumps in the road and not as total 670,000 square feet of concrete, roadblocks. Against the backdrop will have been poured, and con- of our underlying purpose — bene- struction of the mezzanine level will fiting youth and supporting educa- be underway. tion — we must press on and not As the buildings which will forget the potential scholarship house the 2003 and future Shows recipients in the classes of 2001 and take shape, we must remember that 2002 that will benefit from our hard it is our Show, and it belongs to all work during this growth. of us who work to make it happen. We are all partners in this effort, Decisions that are made by a few, and I have been impressed by the which might cause some of us tem- number of volunteers from other porary inconveniences, are being committees who have stepped up made so that the Show of which we to lend a hand and answered the are all so proud can be even bigger Rodeo Express Committee’s call for and better than ever before. Believe assistance in its effort to triple rider- me when I assure you — there is no ship for the 2001 Show. Even with we/they distinction. The decisions those who have already offered to of the Executive Committee, offi- help, we still need many more. If cers and directors of the Houston you can assist in that endeavor Livestock Show and Rodeo are for during the 2001 Show, please call improvement of future Shows so the Show offices at 713.791.9000 that we can all continue to be proud to put your name on the list of those of the magnitude of the results we who are willing to give the extra achieve in benefiting youth and effort to make sure our Show is as supporting education. fantastic as ever, if not bigger and Here’s to a great Show in 2001! better. A new program is being intro- Photo by duced to you in this issue of Magazine. It is called Frank Martin “Hospitality Plus,” and it is an opportunity for each of us to become an on-site ambassador for our 2001 Show visitors and guests. It is purely voluntary, and the only effort required is to offer a smile, a cheerful voice and a helping P. Michael Wells hand when you see a Show visitor or exhibitor in need of President directions or assistance. For more details, please see the 1 1 s time for the 2001 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo rodeo approaches, more changes have been confirmed to spectators A improve access for Show visitors and volunteers. will see more cowboys and cowgirls Since there will be no on-site public parking, the Rodeo competing in the METRO Express will be the best bet for Show visitors getting to evening and from the Astrodome complex. The shuttles will operate performances. The from 10 satellite locations, covering most of the Houston area. biggest change in the weekday From the northwest, riders can catch the shuttles at Delmar performances will be division of rodeo events before and after Stadium and METRO North Shepherd Park and Ride. On the featured entertainer. The performances will begin with six the northeast side, the shuttle location is the METRO Eastex events — saddle bronc riding, team roping, bareback riding Park and Ride. In the southeast, the METRO Fuqua Park and and barrel racing, plus the calf scramble and chuck wagon Ride and METRO Monroe Park and Ride serve as pick-up races — before the rotating stage is brought out for the and drop-off locations. The Aramco Building Parking at 9009 entertainer, and will wrap up with three rodeo events — bull West Loop South, METRO West Loop Park and Ride and riding, calf roping and steer wrestling — after the entertainer. Westwood Technology Center will serve patrons on the southwest side. Centrally located, the Enron Field B & C Lots The rodeo maintains the entertainer-last format for the and Reed Road HLS&R Park and Ride will offer longer hours weekend performances, but, with the discontinuation of of operation than the other locations. matinee performances, Saturday and Sunday performances will begin at 4 p.m. Although there will not be a split in the rodeo Rodeo METRO Express service will begin for the World’s events, the events will take place in the same order as during Championship Bar-B-Que Contest Feb. 8-10. On Thursday, the week. Feb. 8, all lots will run from 5 p.m. to midnight. On Friday, Feb. 9, all lots will operate from 5 p.m. to midnight, except for the Reed Road HLS&R lot BELTWAY 8 and Enron Field lots, which will begin service at METRO Eastex noon. All lots will offer service from 9 a.m. to Park & Ride (Hwy. 59 at midnight on Saturday, Feb. 10. Old Humble Rd.) METRO N. Shepherd Daily shuttle service to and from the Park & Ride Astrodome complex will begin on Tuesday, Feb. (IH-45 N. at W. Little York) 13. Starting then, the Reed Road HLS&R lot will have continuous shuttle service from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, and the Enron Field lots will be open Delmar Stadium daily from 11 a.m. to midnight beginning (Hwy. 290 at Mangum) Wednesday, Feb. 14. All other lots will operate from 5 p.m. to midnight on weeknights and 9 a.m. Enron Field to midnight on weekends. B & C Lots (Between Stadium and Hwy. 59) Aramco In order to accommodate the flow of Show Services (9009 patrons from the rodeo performances to the W. Loop S.) shuttles and satellite lots, a few changes have been Westwood METRO Monroe Technology METRO made to the RODEOHOUSTON™ performance Park & Ride Center West Loop Reed Road HLS&R (Monroe at IH-45 S.) lineup. These changes should stagger the (Westwood Mall Park & Ride Park & Ride at Bissonnet) (W. Loop at (Reed Rd. W. of Hwy. 288) departure of visitors from the Astrodome complex S. Braeswood) and decrease congestion in the bus transportation METRO Fuqua center. Park & Ride BELTWAY 8 (Sabo Rd. at IH-45 S.) Weekday performances will continue to begin at 7 p.m., but without the early bird performance, 2 This year’s Show will be one of the most challenging in the manner possible.